Rolls-Royce Motor Cars And Rolls-Royce plc Are Two Different Companies!
People seem to keep getting Rolls-Royce Motor Cars and Rolls-Royce plc confused, so here’s a rundown of the differences and history!
ROLLS-ROYCE MOTOR CARS
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the BMW Group. The company is the world’s leading luxury manufacturer based at The Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood, near Chichester, West Sussex, which comprises its global headquarters and Global Centre of Luxury Manufacturing Excellence – the only place in the world where Rolls-Royce motor cars are hand-crafted.
Production began on 1 January 2003 with the world’s pinnacle luxury product, Phantom. The range has since expanded to include Ghost, Wraith, Dawn, Cullinan and their Black Badge counterparts. An all-new Ghost is due to be launched later this year. The company has customers in more than 50 countries worldwide attended by a network of Rolls-Royce dealerships. Total sales in 2019 exceeded 5,000 cars. Over 2,000 people are employed at The Home of Rolls-Royce.
ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
Rolls-Royce plc is a leading industrial technology company with manufacturing facilities around the world employing some 52,000 people. Its head office is in London with main operations in Derby, UK; Bristol, UK; Indianapolis, US; Dahlewitz, Germany; Friedrichshafen, Germany; and Singapore. Originally founded in 1906, Rolls-Royce Ltd was nationalised in 1971, becoming Rolls-Royce 1971 Ltd., initially including the Motor Car Division. The Motor Car Division was floated as a separate company in 1973, and became Rolls-Royce Motors Holdings Ltd, which traded as Rolls-Royce Motors. Rolls-Royce 1971 Ltd. was privatised in 1987, becoming Rolls-Royce plc.
Rolls-Royce plc designs and manufactures engines for civil aerospace and military aircraft and ships. Its Power Systems business unit, based in Friedrichshafen, Germany, designs and manufactures engines for a range of land and marine applications including power generation. Rolls-Royce plc has customers in more than 150 countries, comprising more than 400 airlines and leasing customers, 160 armed forces, 70 navies, and more than 5,000 power and nuclear customers. For the last 60 years it has also designed, supplied and supported the nuclear propulsion plant that provides power for all of the UK Royal Navy’s nuclear submarines.
In January 2017, Rolls-Royce plc reached agreement with investigating authorities in the UK, US and Brazil relating to its activities in a number of overseas markets. On 20 May 2020, Rolls-Royce plc announced 9,000 job losses worldwide, predominantly in its Civil Aerospace business, in response to the medium-term reduction in demand for civil aerospace engines and services resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic.
At-a-glance summary:
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars
Rolls-Royce plc
Established
2003
1987
Ownership
Wholly-owned subsidiary of BMW Group (Munich)
Rolls-Royce Holdings plc
Products
The world’s pinnacle super-luxury motor cars
Engines and power systems for civil and military aircraft, ships, submarines and land‑based applications
Head office
Goodwood, West Sussex
Kings Place, London
Manufacturing sites
Global Centre of Luxury Manufacturing Excellence, Goodwood, West Sussex
Operations in more than 50 countries worldwide. Major manufacturing operations in UK and overseas include: Ansty, Barnoldswick, Bristol, Derby, Hucknall and Inchinnan in the UK; Dahlewitz and Friedrichshafen in Germany; Indianapolis, USA; and Singapore.
Employees
c. 2,000
c. 52,000
CEO
Torsten Müller-Ötvös
Warren East
